The New York Giants, like every other team in the NFL, are winding down their work at training camp, and with one preseason game left, the team will be forced to trim their roster down to 53 players in the near future. The spot where the Giants may have the most trouble is at wide receiver, as they have quite a bit of depth at this position.
Throughout training camp, New York has appeared to have five roster locks at wide receiver, meaning everyone else is competing for what could end up being only one or two spots at the bottom of the depth chart. According to one team insider, though, the Giants could actually end up trading one of Darius Slayton or Darnell Mooney in an attempt to clear things up at this position.
Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney Emerge as Potential Giants Trade Candidates
Slayton and Mooney are part of the aforementioned five-man group that was seemingly roster locks for the Giants at wide receiver. Malik Nabers obviously isn’t going anywhere, Calvin Austin III was just signed in free agency (as was Mooney), and Malachi Fields is a third-round rookie who will be given time to learn on the fly this year.
With every spot being important, though, Slayton and Mooney are viewed as guys who have similar play styles at a position where the team has a lot of depth. Behind this group are players like Odell Beckham Jr., Isaiah Hodgins, Braxton Berrios, and Jalin Hyatt, all of whom have cases to make the initial 53-man roster.
If moving off of Slayton or Mooney could help the front office keep one of the guys from that roster bubble group, it may be worth considering. With roster cuts quickly approaching, Giants insider Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post suggested that one of Slayton or Mooney could get dealt in an effort to help balance out the wide receiver room.
“Mentioned in here 3 things to keep an eye on as trades:
— Giants moving either Darius Slayton or Darnell Mooney, who have overlapping strengths
— Giants moving a draft pick (like the one they got for Daniel Faalele) for a backup DT
— Jets with a TE to spare?”
Should the Giants Trade Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney?
GettyThe New York Giants have made moves that would allow them to part ways with Darius Slayton via trade.
Slayton has spent his entire seven-year career with the Giants so far, operating primarily as a secondary target on passes deeper down the field. Mooney, meanwhile, was scooped up on a one-year, $3 million contract in free agency, and while he isn’t all that consistent, his best seasons have been significantly better than Slayton’s best seasons.
However, Slayton has more familiarity with New York’s offense than Mooney, which could make him more valuable to the team. Mooney is also on a cheaper contract than Slayton, so the Giants could conceivably get more for him from a wide receiver-needy team. The front office has a lot of big decisions it has to weigh over the next few days, and potentially trading either Slayton or Mooney is high up on that list.
Giants Insider Floats Pair of Veteran Wide Receivers as Potential Trade Candidates